Congratulations to the school’s team, who performed so impressively in the recent North Lanarkshire Schools Swimming Championships, held at Cumbernauld. Yet again, the team returned with a fantastic medal haul, with the medallists well supported by the other team members, who also impressed with highly competitive times, including a number of personal bests.

The Valley medallists were: Ainslie Wright: gold 200 fly, silver 100 and 200 free; Eilidh Murray: gold 200IM, silver 200 fly, silver 200 breast; Adam Pearson: silver 100 and 200 fly; Jack Reid: silver 100 back, bronze 200 IM; Karen Perry: silver 200 IM, silver 100 breast, bronze 200 free. The other team members were: Isla Barr, Carly Murray and Ailiesh McInnes.

The Clyde Valley swimming team who performed so strongly at the recent schools championship at Cumbernauld.

Inter House Public Speaking:

Sneddon House triumphed in both the Intermediate and Senior Inter House Public Speaking Competitions. The Sneddon Intermediate duo of Niamh Speirs and Leah Grant both produced strong speeches to edge the Houldsworth pairing of Raina Owens and Liam Dunnachie. Jodie Barrett and Claire Megahy represented Curran and also delivered stylish speeches in a closely contested event.

The senior event proved to be a titanic struggle between Clyde Valley’s public-speaking ‘big-hitters’. Josh Speirs and Heather Waugh were Sneddon’s winning duo, finishing just ahead of Eilidh Murray and Rachel Moon, a formidable Houldsworth partnership. Aaron Winter and Rebecca Forrester ensured Curran also played their part in one of the best senior suite of performances in recent years.

Raina Owens was crowned this year’s Intermediate with an often amusing and certainly touching tribute to her mum with a speech entitled ‘A Girl’s Best Friend’. Josh Speirs delivered a masterful performance with ‘The Unfeathered Kind’, a sardonic account of his first-ever romantic encounter.

Mr Sommerville, the school’s Head Teacher, was joined at the judges table by Mrs Evelyn Neilson, Depute Head, and Pauline O’Neill, Learning and Leisure Services Quality Improvement Officer. In his summing up, Mr Sommerville recorded the unanimous view of the judges that the standard this year had been quite outstanding.

All of the competitors from the inter house public speaking competition. Raina Owens (back left) was the intermediate individual Winner. Seated is the victorious Sneddon team (from left to right) Leah Grant, Josh Speirs, Heather Waugh and Niamh Speirs. Josh was also the individual winner in the senior contest.